SOME IMPORTANT BAIT FISHES 



LIFE HISTORY 



Descriptio7i. — First obvious ray 

 of the dorsal fin thickened, stand- 

 ing out from followino; rays; scales 

 small and crowded behind the head ; 

 mouth small, horizontal, a.nd under 

 tlie snout; back flat and straight; 

 lateral line complete from head to 

 tail ; breeding male with a tiny 

 blisterlike swelling of skin at each 

 corner of mouth, tubercles on snout 

 only; spot at base of tail dark but 

 diffuse; body ca.vity lined with 

 black ; intestine less than twice body 

 length. The males grow larger 

 than the females, attaining a maxi- 

 mum length of 4 inches. 



Range and breeding habits. — 

 This minnow resembles the fathead 

 minnow (p. 78) in appearance, 

 breeding ha.bits, and distribution. 

 It is more abundant than the fat- 



head in the large, clearer lakes 

 and firm-bottomed streams. In 

 Michigan, the bluntnose has been 

 called tlie most conmion minnow in 

 inla.nd waters. Spawning begins 

 the latter part of May and continues 

 through August in Michigan, but 

 may begin 1 month earlier in west- 

 ern Minnesota. Water tempera- 

 tures of 70° F. or higher are neces- 

 sary before spawning takes place. 

 A female may spawn a.t least twice 

 in one season, and eggs are laid 

 under any flat object on the bottom 

 in water as deep as 8 feet (fig. 43), 

 A depth of 6 inches to 3 feet is pre- 

 ferred. A count of eggs in 10 

 females averaged 2,005 eggs per 

 fish. The eggs hatch in 7 to 15 days. 

 The young reach marketable size 

 by fall and spawn the following 

 spring. The maximum age is about 

 4 years. 



FiouBE 43. — Spawning boards strung in pond for bluntnose minnow. 



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